On Lone Star Trail

In the third and last book of the Texas Crossroads series, Amanda Cabot does not disappoint.  I read the second in this series last year, which was my first read of this author's work. I was pleasantly surprised that it was not just a romance novel.  She is able to bring real life situations with typical people working out their problems with faith at the center.  I appreciate that.
 Gillian Hodges was robbed of her lifetime passion for the concert piano by an automobile accident.  T.J. Benjamin was robbed of his life's work by a loss he felt he could not bear.  Gillian and T.J. meet when his motorcycle hydroplanes in the rain, narrowly missing Gillian's car.  She offers him a ride to her destination, Rainbow's End Resort.  There begins an uneasy stay on his part, waiting for repair to be done on the bike.  Gillian is there to visit Kate and Greg, owners of the resort.  Kate and Gillian are best friends and have been since high school.
As the story develops, we see Gillian and T.J. drawn together in friendship.  At this point enters another male interest, so....
Gillian and T.J. are both working out their disappointments and coming to terms with big changes in their lives.  Amanda Cabot weaves this tale in a very believable way.  I was trying to predict the ending as I read,  but just when I thought I had it figured out, another layer was peeled away.
This book was easy to read and absorbing at the same time.  Those two characteristics don't usually come together and it was refreshing.  I loved the descriptions of the Texas Hill country.  It sounds picturesque and engaging.  The author has a firm grasp of grammar and sentence structure (one of my sticking points!).  Her addition of multiple plot lines with secondary characters was spot on.   All in all, watching this story take place was interesting, engaging, absorbing, all of the good words that I associate with a pleasing read.
The first two books in this series are At Bluebonnet Lake and In Firefly Valley. I plan to pick up the first in this series to read next and suggest you do the same.
I highly recommend On Lone Star Trail and gladly give it five stars!
I received a copy of this book from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing, in exchange for an honest review.  These words are my opinion.
Thanks so much for being here!

See you soon,
Jeri~

The Intern

Robert DeNiro and Ann Hathaway are delightful in this movie.  Of course, if Bob is in it, I am probably going to make a point of seeing it.  I like pretty much every movie he is in.  Ann is someone I like to see as well.  She has matured into an excellent actress, from the Princess Diaries (2001) all the way through LeMiserables (2012) to this flick.  

The premise is that Ann (Jules Ostin) is an entrepreneur as well as a married mother of one sweet little girl. Her husband was a rising star and gave all that up to be a stay at home Dad when her business took off.  He believes in her ability and her dream. She started an e-com fashion website, promising (and delivering) great service with integrity.
Her right hand man, Cameron, sets up an intern program for senior citizens.  Those who have business experience and are retired.  One qualification is to be over 65 years of age.  To apply, you have to submit a video instead of a cover letter which the ad says is "so old fashioned."  Robert plays Ben Whittaker, the man who gets the job.  He has a "hole" in his life that needs filled.  He is a retired widower and has done everything he can to explore new activities and is looking for something productive to do when he sees the ad for the Internship program on the bulletin board at his local Starbucks.  The comedic experience that ensues for the viewer during Ben's video episode is laugh-inducing and heart-warming.  Just as all the comedy in this movie is.  He comes to work for Jules who is suspicious of him as an older worker and does not want him involved in her work life.  She swears Cameron did not run this by her before he moved ahead with it-he insists he did and she agreed.  She is so frantic with her schedule as Pres, CEO, Head Honcho that she misses some things;  like this one!  She agrees to a limited time with Ben as her intern and brings him on giving him very little to do for her.  He finds ways to be useful and relevant, ending up with everybody in the company liking him, Jules included.  The friendship that unfolds with his well placed words of wisdom and dependability make for a tender camaraderie that is genuine and easy to watch.
You know I do not give it all away, so I am leaving it there.  There are some heartaches in this story as well as laugh out loud comedy.  It is easy to escape into, making for a pleasant interlude.  It is genuine, warm, real and I highly recommend it as one to be watched.  Written and directed by Nancy Meyers, the creator of Something's Gotta Give, The Holiday, What Women Want, it has her signature warmth and realism.
I give The Intern five stars!  Grab the popcorn and your beverage of choice and settle in!  You'll be glad you did!
Don't go far, I'll be back soon with a review of a  literary new release for your reading pleasure, Ann Cabot's newest and last in the Texas Crossroads series.
Thanks for being here!

Jeri~

                                                     

In The Heart of The Sea

Okay,  this was a good movie.  It was released in Dec. 2015.  No blockbuster here but still worth my time and money.  I think we moviegoers always expect a blockbuster from Ron Howard and when he under-performs, we are disappointed.  
This takes place in Nantucket, the whaling capital of the early 1800s.  One of the first things I was reminded of was the history of whaling.  We see the business side of whaling which was to produce the oil for lamps. Killing the whale was a living for men and could be a lucrative one.
Something I learned was that many Quakers lived there and they had the most successful oil processing business of the era.
This was based on the the book of the same name, by author Nathanial Philbrick.  The story is based on the tragedy that was the inspiration for Moby Dick which is still a classic even though we no longer live in a world where we are not being entertained 24/7.
Leading actor Chris Hemsworth played well (when doesn't he?) and brought the main character, Owen Chase, to life as a first mate who should have had his own ship long ago.  Even after being promised his next trip would be as captain on his own ship, he is told again, not just yet.  He sets sail on the Essex, stuck with Captain George Pollard,  played admirably by Benjamin Walker.  Pollard knows mostly nothing about sailing and was given the ship because his father owns the whaling company.  Howard weaves in human drama that adds life to the tale.  Owen must perform as captain when tragedy strikes,  filling in where Pollard lacks, which is everywhere.  The struggle between the two provides tension and watching that struggle, gives a picture of a crew waiting for their leader to shape up, knowing that the mate is the real captain.
In a nutshell they encounter the whale and the whale sinks the ship.  The action of fighting the whale with every fiber of their being, was exciting to watch.  Their survival after the ship sinks is nothing short of miraculous and they are forced to consider the unthinkable, to survive three months in life boats on the open waters of the Pacific.
The movie begins with the author of Moby Dick, Herman Melville interviewing the last living survivor of the Essex, Captain Pollard.  Pollard went to sea again after the tragedy, determined to slay the whale, but his ship wrecked and he was forced to retire.  He spends most of his remaining years sinking into an alcoholic depression and ends up as the town watchman.  It is at this point that Melville seeks to interview him and we see the movie through the eyes of Pollard reliving the epic journey as he tells it to Melville.
The movie has the personal stories of the main characters woven in which gave it plenty of depth for me.  It was entertaining and exciting enough that with a tub of popcorn and my fave movie-watching buddy (my husband) I was satisfied with the story.  After all, I watch movies to be entertained and this fit the bill well.
I give In The Heart of The Sea four stars.
Thanks for being here!

Jeri~

The Revenant

Leonardo DeCaprio just last night won a Best Actor SAG award for his portrayal of Hugh Glass, a Philadelphia born fur trapper.  The movie is based on the novel, The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge penned by Michael Punke in 2002.  It loosely follows the trek of Glass over 3000 miles to find and kill the man who left him for dead after a grizzly attack.  I viewed the film yesterday with my trusty sidekick hubby, at my local Marcus Cinema.
This movie is not for the faint of heart. It is raw and it is real. It portrays life as it was for fur trappers in the early 1800s. In the film, Glass is hired by Captain Andrew Henry to trap for furs in the Northern area of the Louisana Purchase.  Glass has his son, Hawk, on this trip with him.  Hawk's mother is Arikara Indian and she is dead.  Glass is also serving as guide to the party, departing from Fort Kiowa.  When scouting for the party, he is mauled by a female grizzly after disturbing her cubs. He suffers catasrophic injuries from the encounter and is laying nearly dead when the party finds him. They load him on a makeshift stretcher and attempt to continue their trek.  When they are unable to pull him up a hill in a wooded area,  he is left with two of the men, Fitzgerald and Bridger, played by Tom Hardy and Will Poulter,  who volunteer to stay until he dies and give him a proper burial.  They are promised pay for their duty by Captain Henry.  Fitzgerald tries to smother Glass but Hawk witnesses this and intervenes.  Fitzgerald then kills Hawk while Glass helplessly looks on from his stretcher.   Some time after this, Fitzgerald lies to Bridger, telling him that he spotted Indians nearby and they need to leave Glass and run for their lives.  Fitzgerald drags Glass into a makeshift grave while Bridger looks on telling him, "This aint right, he's still breathin', he's alive."  No matter, Fitzgerald takes Glass' rifle, gives his knife to Bridger and off they go.  But, before Bridger leaves, struck with conscience, he lays his canteen down on Glass' chest in an attempt to leave him with some sustenance. Yep, that canteen shows up later, leading to eventual conviction.
The bulk of the movie tells the story of Glass surviving and making his way back to Fort Kiowa, to exact his revenge on Fitzgerald.  Along the way he meets Hikuc, a friendly Pawnee Indian who's village and family have been destroyed.  He gives care to Glass who is still recovering from his wounds and Glass tells him what has happened and that he is out for revenge.  Hikuc tells him he too has lost family but "revenge is in the hands of God."
There is an interwoven story line of Powaqa, an Indian woman who has been kidnapped by French trappers headed up by Toussaint, who is based on Toussaint Charbonnau, a real character in history.  He was a nasty man, whom I first read about in the story of Sacagawea.
Glass finally reaches the fort and tells all to Captain Henry.  Henry and Glass set out to find Fitzgerald, who hears that Glass has shown up, and runs.  He is tracked by Glass and Henry.  I won't spoil it by telling you more, except that when Glass finally has Fitzgerald in his hands he remembers, "revenge is in the hands of God."
This is an epic film with an epic performance by Leo.  I would say it is the performance of a lifetime for him. A good part of the movie is without dialogue due to the fact that we see Glass' lone struggle to stay alive and keep moving.  To give a performance that is manifested in facial expression and action takes a maturity that Leonardo has gained over the years and he pulls if off extremely well.
There are liberties taken with the historical account of Hugh Glass' experience, but we do that in the movies. It does not detract and few of us know the story as history anyway.
The screenplay was written by Alejandro Inarritu and Mark L. Smith and directed by Inarritu.  The cast was stellar with co-star Tom Hardy who can carry a movie on his own.
The cinematography was stunning with filming being done in 12 locations in three countries; United States, Canada and Argentina.  The scenes of the wild outdoors of snow and mountains and forests cannot be outdone.
I give The Revenant five stars and recommend you take it in!
Thanks so much for being here!
Jeri~

Michael Symon's 5 in 5 For Every Season

Michael has done it again!  This is his second 5 in 5 cookbook.  This one is 5 in 5 for every season, stressing the importance of cooking with what is in season in your part of the country.  The book is bright and beautiful with lots of color and his smiling face on the cover!  What else does an aspiring home cook need?!
It is well arranged with an easy to see contents page showing a section for each season, and one for holidays.  That is a bonus.  It is a nice size, easy to hold in your hand to read and the print size makes it easy to work from in the kitchen when you may be glancing at the recipe from a foot or two away at the counter.
The premise here is for the home cook to be able to make a good meal with five fresh ingredients that cook in about five minutes.  I will say here, the five minute part is five minutes of heat.  You still have prep to do before cooking; but he has made that as easy as can be also.
Michael includes a pantry section which outlines the items you need to keep on stock to help facilitate the five minute cook time.  He includes all things needed with complete lists for oils and vinegars, spices and seasonings, canned, bottled and boxed and  basics.  If you stock your pantry from his list, you will be well on your way to cooking every one of the 165 recipes in this book, in five!
I made four of the recipes to preview.  I chose the Fall and Winter seasons (basically the season we are in) and one from the Holiday section.  The first meal I made was Sirloin Steak with Onions.  Oh my, the onions were to die for!  These are not your basic steakhouse onions.  He caramelizes them with a mixture of vinegar, honey and brown sugar that takes the humble red onion to a new level.  The meal is completed with arugula on the side, dressed with a whisk of olive oil and lemon.  I tried the Autumn Panzanella, which is also known as Tuscan bread salad.  This was a mix of Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced fresh Brussels sprouts with cubes of baguette and chopped walnuts all tossed in a blend of vinegar, Dijon mustard and olive oil.  Delicious!  The Walnut Spread is a blend of toasted walnuts with roasted red peppers, lemon juice, honey and crushed red pepper flakes. You add that into your food processor and give it a whirl.  Turn it into a dish and sprinkle with some crumbled feta, put any cracker you want on the side and set it out.  Good stuff!   This was from the Holiday section.  I also made Spicy Beef Tacos.  This calls for a blend of seasonings in place of the store bought "taco seasoning."  Made with chipotle powder, cayenne, paprika and cumin seeds, it was spicy and satisfying.  The heat in this one sneaks up on you, so beware.
I love this book.  I will be making many more (if not all) of the recipes included here.  Michael's book reflects the whole food, clean living cooking style we are hearing a lot about lately.  Making the recipes in this book will give you a good start toward converting your kitchen (and diet?!) to a whole food kitchen.
I highly recommend you run right out and buy this!  It is a great book from a great chef.  I give 5 in 5 For Every Season five stars!  He is an Iron Chef, after all!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Blogging for Books,  in exchange for an honest review. These words are my opinion.
Thanks for reading!
Jeri~

On This Foundation

This is the third and last installment of The Restoration Chronicles, by Lynn Austin.  This story is about Nehemiah rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.  Beginning with the petition by Nehemiah to King Artaxerxes to return to his homeland and supervise the rebuilding of the walls (Nehemiah 2:5).  God is mighty and he moves Artaxerxes to grant Nehemiah's petition.  The story moves forward from there with the king even writing letters to the kings of the region, to let Nehemiah get all the wood he needs from the forest in the region to rebuild.
Ms. Austin fills in the small details of daily routine and gives life to the characters as Nehemiah sets out to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls.  As Nehemiah approaches Jerusalem, you feel his elation at seeing his city, but also his disappointment at the sight of it laying in ruin.  "...Jerusalem, city of his ancestors, lay below him.  His breath caught at the wonder of it--and also at the desolation of it.  Piles of rubble and burnt stones lay scattered everywhere."  
This novel, based on Biblical events, draws a compelling picture of the opposition that Nehemiah and his workers are up against when Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem get wind of it; they set out to stop the construction.  The author gives an excellent depiction of God's work in favor of Nehemiah and the faithful when they are able to stop the attacks and finish the rebuilding.
This is a well written book and a fitting end to the series.  Lynn Austin is a bestselling author and and eight-time Christy award winner for her historical novels.  Her books have sold more than one million copies worldwide.  The first two installments in this series are Return to Me and Keepers of the Covenant.   These books take the reader from the beginning of the return of the Jews from exile, to the finish of rebuilding Jerusalem.  I read the second installment but not the first.  I plan to read it and I recommend that you read the series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, Bethany House, in exchange for an honest review.  These words are my opinion.

Thanks so much for being here!

Jeri~

Murder at the Courthouse

A.H. Gabhart pens a new story in the Hidden Springs Mysteries series.  The story begins with a dead man propped up on the courthouse steps, first thing in the morning before there is any stirring in the little town of Hidden Springs, Ky.  The body is found by Miss Willadean Dearmon as she approaches the courthouse to make her daily round of the offices there to make sure her duly elected officials are at work and using her tax dollars wisely.  She passes by thinking the dead man is drunk and rude, not speaking to her.  No clue on her part that he is dead.  A drunk on the courthouse steps is her first complaint of the day.  You can imagine what happens when she insists that the Sheriff go out there and do something about that!
As the story unfolds, they determine he has been shot in the back and begin to conjecture about who could have caused his death.  As the Sheriff works to identify the man and find the perpetrator, a mystery begins to unravel.  Of course I will not tell you who "dunnit."  I am no spoiler.  As you read you will see several characters that could have done the murder.  The disappearance of a prominent member of the community makes it look like that person may have committed the act, as well as others who seem to behave suspiciously.  It does have a surprise ending, because you may not suspect who the killer is and the unwanted strings that tie these people together.
This novel is well written.  That is because the words flow from page to page and the story is interesting.  It makes it easy to read.  The grammar and sentence structure add to the quality of the work.  It's all good.  It is a light read and as I have said in the past, a light read is sometimes exactly what you need to relax with.  This could be considered a cozy mystery but it has too much depth and enough character development to take it out of that genre. I enjoyed it and recommend you give it a shot!  Get that?  Give it a shot?  Anyway, I give Murder at the Courthouse five stars!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, Revell, in exchange for an honest review.  These words are my opinion.
Thanks so much for being here!  See you soon!

Jeri~